Chocolate is the greatest gift the Earth has given us. The dessert table would be a sad sight without it. It’s so beloved, so appreciated, that the Swedish scientist who named the cocoa plant that gives us chocolate called it Theobroma cacao, which means “food of the gods”. Here: Farmer holding a freshly cut cocoa bean pod, revealing the pulp and seed inside on a rainforest farm. (Photo by Doug McKinlay/Getty Images)

Is it a leaf? Is it tree bark? No, it’s the Satanic leaf-tailed gecko. Cleverly disguised as a rotting leaf, Madagascar’s camouflage king has red eyes, pointy horns and a taste for night hunting: it’s nature’s most devilish deceiver. The twisted body and veiny skin echo the detail of a dry leaf, which ensures the gecko blends in with its forest home. The mottled tail appears to have sections missing, as though it has withered over time. This mini-monster epitomises survival of the fittest, having adapted gradually to become today’s extraordinary leaf impersonator. (Photo by Thomas Marent/ARDEA)

A worker lifts up tiles during a bodybuilding contest for tile factory workers as part of celebrating Indonesia Independence day at Jatiwangi village in Majalengka, Indonesia West Java province, August 11, 2017. Indonesia Independence day is on August 17, 2017. (Photo by Reuters/Beawiharta)

An Emirati child plays with an airplane model near the venue of the Mazayin Dhafra Camel Festival, on December 20, 2012 near the city of Madinat Zayed, 150 kms west of Abu Dhabi. The festival, which attracts participants from around the Gulf region, includes a camel beauty contest, a display of UAE handcrafts and other activities aimed at promoting the country's folklore. (Photo by Karim Sahib/AFP Photo)

Students perform during a “Bhangra” folk dance competition at a university in Amritsar on October 29, 2024. (Photo by Narinder Nanu/AFP Photo)

Content creator & Founder of Shop ARL, Amanda Rach Lee hosted the brand’s first New York City Pop-Up At Shopify NY in the last decade of January 2025. (Photo by Steve Alicea)

A model wears a creation for Schiaparelli's Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2024 collection presented in Paris, Monday, January 22, 2024. (Photo by Christophe Ena/AP Photo)

A woman shouts during a demonstration to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in Quito, Ecuador, Monday, November 25, 2024. (Photo by Dolores Ochoa/AP Photo)